"The sun getting down into
its temple on the june solstice day"Picture of the significant alingment discovered by the
author Anibal Paredes in Chankillo. Relevant elements
aligned the june solstice day at sunset time: The Sun right
above the northern circle tower on the fortified temple
aligned in the gap between tower 1 and 2, as seen from the
Eastern Observing Spot proposed by Paredes (EOSP).
Research continues:
anibal@cicloturismoperu.com

According to a study published by
archaeologists Ivan Ghezzi, Universidad Católica del
Perú and Charles Ruggles, Leicester University UK,
there is evidence of the oldest known observatory in
the world. They stated that "The towers of Chankillo
provide us with evidence of the first solar
observations and of the existence of advanced cults
to the sun, 2,000 years before the cults made by the
Incas from Cusco."

Before now, based on the references of the first
Spanish chroniclers, it was believed that the first
observatories were in the Coricancha region, near
Cusco and were constructed by the Moche culture, 600
years after Chankillo. Chankillo was constructed
when one of the major religious centers collapsed,
Chavin de Huantar, between 200 and 300 B.C.

Located some 15 km south of Casma, about 400 km
north of Lima, Chankillo is made up of a fortress
strategically situated on the top of a hill,
composed of 3 concentric oval shaped thick rock
walls (with 5, 4, and 3 entrances respectively from
the outer to the inner). These leveled doorways lead
to elaborate corridors, its roofs are made with
thick algarrobo wood that still support the weight
of the wall above. Surrounding these concentric
circles are 2 round structures and 1 circle. The C14
analysis of the wood shows us that the wood is 2,300
years old.

In the front of this fortress there
is a group of 13 towers, rising in a row from North
to South on the top of the Chankillo hill, they
indicate with precision the yearly movement of the
sun, the solstices and equinoxes.

Different sources reveal the andean
calendar divided in 13 months of 28 days each, with
4 weeks of 7 days, corresponding to the four moon
phases. Total 364 days. The day missing is
dedicated to the sun’s worship. This day is named
Inti Raymi (quechua) or Willka Uru (aymara) this is
the beginning of the New Andean Year, June 21st,
the winter solstice day.

June solstice is the moment when the
sun reaches its lowest point, when sun rays hit at
its maximum low angle the southern hemisphere lands
of earth. This stage corresponds to the culmination
of winter and is the moment chosen to celebrate the
New Andean Year because it marks the end of the
harvest season and the begin of a new planting
season. The sun will provide the energy for a good
harvest.

Each tower measures between 2 and 6 m
in diameter and is separated by 4.7 and 5.1 m. They
are all aligned on the edge of the hill. Each
structure has 2 stairways, on the North and South
sides, that lead to the top of the tower. For a long
time nobody understood the presence of this row of
towers which looked like the spines along the back
of a dragon.

Since the XIX century it was speculated that the row
of 13 towers could be a lunar trace, but nobody
decided to follow that hunch, said Ghezzi, who
decided to test the idea while studying military
structures, dating back to 400 years B.C., in a
nearby area.

The key came from the discovery of 2 observing
points, situated some 200 m from the ends of the row
of towers, both decorated with relics known as
sacrificial material. Following the movement of the
sun from both points, archaeologists noted that the
distribution of the towers, constructed at regular
intervals, adjust to the path of the stars. They
say,that if today the position of dawn coincides
with the third tower, after some time it will
coincide with the fourth, afterwards with the fifth
until the cycle the structures mark is complete.

The tower located farthest East was in bad
condition, but the one located to the West has
maintained most of its structure and permitted
scientists to determine its function. Both observing
points were positioned in a such way that in the
Summer and Winter solstices the sun rises and sets
above the towers, forming a line that clearly
defines the solar year.

Thousands of people could have
gathered to observe impressive solar events. These
sunrises and sunsets could have been used in
accordance with a political agenda, says Ivan Ghezzi
As example during June's winter solstice (the
shortest day of the year) the sun rises just left of
the most septentrional (Northern) tower

We have to find other reasons to explain why a group
of people went that far to construct monumental
towers on the top of a hill.

For this scientist the discovery of such an old
observatory it is not a surprise. He has stated that
Perú is one of the unexplored archaeological
frontiers of the world.

Ghezzi said he knows very little about the people
that made Chankillo, but he is sure they preceded
the Incas by many centuries.

The archaeological study revealed that in the
construction, offerings were made to figures of clay
warriors with ornaments that seemed to be signs of
status. This suggests ritual practices as well as
the existence of social classes. The sun adoration
might have helped to legitimize the authority of an
elite class, declared the archaeologist.

Astronomical rituals long before the Incas? Is this
more evidence that our history is older than was
thought? Is this evolution or involution? We hope
data and probes continue appearing in order to
extend our historical frontiers even more, giving
evidence of our authentic roots. Who knows if we all are
wrong...

Anibal Paredes is
man educated in the field of science, studied
Biology in Ricardo Palma University and followed
further studies in diverse disciplines and areas of
knowledge as: photography in the Kodak photo school,
busniness management, tourism and marketing in IPAE,
ecology, computing, navigation, geography,
cartography, history, classic and andean mythology,
philosophy, astronomy, andean astronomy,
archaeoastronomy, cosmology, sport phisiologý and
nutrition, etc. Currently actively practices
cycle touring and leads CTP Cicloturismo Peru
club, among other activities.

His particular
interest about archaeoastronomy combined with cycle
touring lead to first visit Chankillo on June 2008
for the solstice, on that occasion after reading and
studying all available information about the place
during the field visit to the site noticed some
significant details but not documented that lead him
to elaborate mental abstractions resulting in the
discovery of relevant observation spots (OS) from
where were observed and verified "significant
alignments" (SA). Starting from this findings a
continued series of visits and field studies has
been done on the dates of subsequent equinoxes and
solstices.

At present has
been verified that these OS and SA work only on the
astronomically significant dates of solstices and
equinoxes, being the OS different for each event.
Also there are in the site spots producing magnetic
anomalies and sound reflection effects (echo) that
induced to propose theories and hypothesis that are
in process of study. Moreover has made findings of
constructive structures rests not documented by
archaeologists, which dimensions, location and
orientation are significant and relevant within the
context of the place as luni-solar alignments
observatory to measure and control time and perform
ritual ceremonies.

Interestingly
found that the observing spots proposed by
archaeologists are not functional, from them no
significant alignments can be made and rather than
being coherent and logical within the observatory
context the explanations about location and
resulting observations from them are artificially
invented "to see what is not". From these
spots is not clearly revealed any logic nor evidence
of any geospatial geometry linking the terrestrial
referential observing elements with the relevant
astral elements.

The actual
evidence and the analysis of all that has been said,
published and known about Chankillo make necessary
to recall, to have in count and ponder in its proper
dimension that, to build a place like this the level
of intelligence of its builders must have reached a
considerable level of unsuspected evolution that we
can underestimate.

Levels of evolution for
intelligence.

There are three levels:

The causal
intelligence is that of the average person who
establishes relations of cause for purpose between
the phenomena. It is the role of current
science through, in particular, the equations.

The intelligence
of the meaning is that of the intuition where bonds
of significance are established between situations
and clues apparently without relation. The evolved
intelligence to this stage is symbolic and subtle
because it speaks by mean of images and association
of ideas.

The creative
intelligence is the highest stage. It supplants any
causal relation, subtle or not, by psychically
creating any situation. It is the divine level of
perfect visualization, that of the pure art.

Based on this interesting information
we have planned bike trips to Chankillo to be
present on the solstices and equinoxes days and
observe the sun rising from the oldest observatory
in the world just like our ancestors did very long
ago.

March 21st: equinox

June 21st: winter
solstice

September 22nd:
equinox

December 21st:
summer solstice

Other dates are
also available but these are the most important due
to their astronomical significance

Duration:2 days 1 night

Level:
1. Easy

Itinerary:

From Lima to Casma round trip by bus.
From Casma to Chankillo and surroundings by bike.